Frequently Asked Questions

Most hiking and backpacking water filters must be replaced if they’ve been frozen.  When it gets too cold to keep a water filter from freezing, your best bet is to switch to chemical purification using chlorine dioxide in tablet form (Katadyn chlorine …

You do (still) need maps to hike the Appalachian Trail, but they’re probably not the kind that you expect. There are two halves to every Appalachian Trail experience: backpacking the trail itself and navigating the communities that border the trail. While you don’t …

A gravity water filter system uses gravity to force water through a filter so you don’t have to squeeze it manually or use a pump to push it through. The advantage of a gravity water filter system is that you can process …

Many of us shy away from eating dried pasta on backpacking trips because it takes so long to cook and uses too much stove fuel. But did you know that you don’t have boil dried pasta using the amount of water recommended on the …

The heaviest items in your backpack are water, food, and fuel. They’re called consumables because you use them up as your trip progresses, as opposed to “base weight” which measures the weight of non-consumable items like a backpack, tent, unworn clothing, a …

The label ‘Hiker Trash’ is a term of endearment for those in the long-distance hiking community who have chosen to ditch social norms and live another way while on a trail journey. That ‘another way’ can be both wondrous and freeing, yet …

Alcohol backpacking stoves are popular with long-distance hikers because they’re inexpensive and lightweight. They’re also a good option for beginners looking to soften the upfront expense of buying backpacking gear. Here are the main reasons why alcohol stoves can be a good …

I had a reader contact me recently asking me how he could cook dinner in the rain, inside a double-wall tent with an MSR Whisperlite stove. He wanted to know whether he should get rid of his tent and replace it with …

There will probably come a time in your hiking career where you need or want to do a big day hike or a backpacking route that requires hiking longer daily distances than you’re used to. While training for bigger mileage in advance …

Single. Double. Triple. Bridge. Gathered end. Spreader bar. With all the different styles and designs of hammocks available, choosing the right one can be confusing, particularly if you’re intending that hammock for a specific purpose, such as a thru-hike on the AT. …

A floating lid is a detachable pocket on the top of a backpack that can be used to carry more gear when the pack’s main compartment is full. They’re commonly found on high-volume backpacks and are very handy when you need to …

Most backpackers like to camp close to water sources out of convenience, but there are real benefits to dry camping in places that are not close to them. If you’re willing to haul the water you’ll need for the night and the …

Many waterproof and more durable ultralight backpacks are made with Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF) or X-Pac, another high-tech laminate fabric similar to DCF but less expensive and easier to make backpacks with. Below, we explain the tradeoffs between these DCF and X-Pac …

A breakaway backpack is a fairly recent innovation for external frame backpacks that lets you overload your pack by inserting gear in between the frame and the pack bag. While originally developed for hunters to haul meat, it is useful for anyone …